Five things to watch: Bengals at Huskies

September 19, 2013 5:29 PM

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Five things to watch: Idaho State Bengals (2-0) at Washington Huskies (2-0)Saturday, Sept. 21 | 12 noon PDT | Husky Stadium, Seattle | TV: Pac-12 Networks
Under head coach Steve Sarkisian (above), the Washington Huskies have never entered the Pac-12 season undefeated, but that should change this season. After dominating Boise State 38-6 to reopen Husky Stadium and taking care of a pesky Illinois team 34-24 in Chicago last week, the Huskies return home to host the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday.
The contest should be a cakewalk for Sarkisian’s squad. The Bengals finished last season 1-10 -- last place in the FCS Big Sky Conference. They’re off to a surprising 2-0 start, but those wins came against Division II foes Dixie State and Western State. Saturday should provide the Dawgs with an opportunity to clean up any miscues as well as work in a few little-used reserves.
With all that said, here’s what we’re looking for in Saturday’s matchup. less

Five things to watch: Idaho State Bengals (2-0) at Washington... Photo-5209592.70497 - seattlepi.com

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1. Can Bishop Sankey keep up his record-setting pace?
Running back Bishop Sankey’s early-season performance has him squarely in the conversation as one of the best running backs in college football. Through two games, he’s piled up 369 rushing yards and three scores along with four catches for another 75 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown catch against Illinois. Sankey leads the nation in rushing yards per game and is creating quite a buzz among NFL scouts, many of whom believe he’ll depart for the next level after this season.
Sarkisian has given Sankey a very heavy workload with 60 carries thus far, and Saturday’s game might provide an opportunity to get him some much-deserved rest if the Huskies go up early. But look for Sark to give Sankey an opportunity to add to his already gaudy statistics in the first half. less

1. Can Bishop Sankey keep up his record-setting pace? Running back Bishop Sankey’s early-season performance has him squarely in the conversation as one of the best running backs in college football. Through ... more

2. Will Austin Seferian-Jenkins get back on track?
ASJ returned from his suspension prior to the Illinois game, but it’s not like he set Chicago ablaze with his performance. The hulking 6-foot-6, 276-pound tight end only caught three passes for eight yards against the Fighting Illini, and didn’t look much like the dominant player he was expected to be heading into the season.
Maybe his off day was simply a result of a very turbulent offseason, but the Huskies will need him to play like the first-round talent he is as they head into the heart of their Pac-12 schedule. Saturday’s game should provide a nice opportunity to get Seferian-Jenkins rolling before next week’s matchup against the Arizona Wildcats. less

2. Will Austin Seferian-Jenkins get back on track? ASJ returned from his suspension prior to the Illinois game, but it’s not like he set Chicago ablaze with his performance. The hulking 6-foot-6, 276-pound ... more

Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images

2. Will Austin Seferian-Jenkins get back on track?
ASJ returned... Photo-5209594.70497 - seattlepi.com

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3. Can the Huskies clean up their mistakes?
Coming into Saturday’s game, the Dawgs' new uptempo offense has averaged 603.5 yards per game, good for fourth in the nation. But that hasn’t translated into points, with Washington coming in at No. 47 in the country at 36 points per game. Against a lower-tier FCS team like Idaho State, there will be no excuse for not putting the ball into the end zone.
Saturday also provides the Huskies with an opportunity to clean up their play after averaging 10 penalties per game through the first two contests. It hasn’t hurt them yet, but Sark’s squad won’t be able to afford that many errors against the likes of Stanford and Oregon. less

3. Can the Huskies clean up their mistakes? Coming into Saturday’s game, the Dawgs' new uptempo offense has averaged 603.5 yards per game, good for fourth in the nation. But that hasn’t translated into ... more

Photo: Jim Prisching, Associated Press

3. Can the Huskies clean up their mistakes?
Coming into... Photo-5209595.70497 - seattlepi.com

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4. Which reserves will take advantage of the extra playing time?
Running back Jesse Callier (above) had a great day in Chicago, rushing six times for 66 yards and a touchdown, and taking a screen pass 27 yards on a key third down in the fourth quarter. He should get some touches against the Bengals, but don’t be surprised if Sarkisian attempts to keep him fresh for Pac-12 play, as well.
Redshirt freshman Dwayne Washington could be the beneficiary of extra touches, provided he takes care of the opportunity better than he took care of the ball against the Illini, when he fumbled twice on two carries.
At quarterback, redshirt freshmen Cyler Miles and Jeff Lindquist are the backups, and while it looks like Miles has risen to the No. 2 job behind senior Keith Price, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them both in action against Idaho State.
Middle linebacker John Timu was banged up against Illinois and missed some practice time this week, so expect Thomas Tutogi to see a lot of time against the Bengals. less

4. Which reserves will take advantage of the extra playing time? Running back Jesse Callier (above) had a great day in Chicago, rushing six times for 66 yards and a touchdown, and taking a screen pass 27 yards ... more

Photo: Jim Prisching, Associated Press

4. Which reserves will take advantage of the extra playing time?... Photo-5209596.70497 - seattlepi.com

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5. Will the Dawgs suffer a letdown?
Last week, Washington played its first game since the eye-opening bludgeoning of Boise State on national TV on Aug. 31. Last Saturday, against an Illinois team that clearly didn’t match up talent-wise, the Huskies took care of business, but they had a large, hostile crowd in an NFL venue (Soldier Field) to help them retain their edge. Even then, they didn’t look particularly crisp in taking down the Fighting Illini.
In Idaho State, the Dawgs again face a clearly inferior opponent. This time, however, they do so from the comfort of home, but that’s not necessarily a good thing, because while the Huskies should have no trouble dispatching the Bengals, it’s how they do it that matters. Will they look sharp, taking the lowly FCS team out of the game from the opening kickoff? Or will they put together a sloppy, lackadaisical performance that leaves fans feeling ambivalent heading into the Pac-12 schedule?
The way the Huskies approach this matchup will say a lot about the team’s mentality heading forward. less

5. Will the Dawgs suffer a letdown? Last week, Washington played its first game since the eye-opening bludgeoning of Boise State on national TV on Aug. 31. Last Saturday, against an Illinois team that clearly ... more